[For Seniors] Enjoy May: A Collection of Seasonal Craft and Wall Decoration Ideas
We’re introducing crafts and wall decoration ideas that are perfect for May and capture the spirit of the season.
With cherry blossom season over, this is packed with recommendations for anyone struggling with May wall display ideas.
We also feature plenty of craft ideas related to Children’s Day, so if you’d like to make a gift for your grandchild, please take a look.
Even if they seem difficult, many of these ideas are actually simple—just cutting and pasting.
We hope you’ll give these easy crafts and wall decorations a try—they’re great for older adults to enjoy casually, too.
- [For Seniors] May-Themed Wall Decoration Ideas Full of Seasonal Flair
- [For Seniors] Introducing May-themed Origami!
- [For Seniors] Enjoy Koinobori Indoors: Wall Decoration Ideas Collection
- [For Seniors] Celebrate Children's Day: Make Your Own Koinobori (Carp Streamers)
- For Seniors: Snacks to Make in May That Capture the Season
- [For Seniors] May Calendar Craft: Fun and Easy
- [Childcare] Let's make and display in May! Wall Decoration Craft Ideas
- [For Seniors] Recommended Events for May: A Roundup of Ideas That Get Everyone Engaged
- [For Seniors] Enjoy at Day Service: A Roundup of May Craft Ideas
- [For Seniors] Enjoy Cherry Blossoms Indoors: Wall Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Color Your Care Facility’s Spring: Wall Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Spring Wall Decorations: A Collection of Ideas to Brighten Up Your Room
- For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
[For Seniors] Enjoy May: A Collection of Seasonal Craft and Wall Decoration Ideas (131–140)
Tulips and butterflies
This is a 3D wall decoration of tulips and butterflies made with paper quilling.
Cut two types of paper, such as red and yellow, into rectangles and apply double-sided tape to one edge.
Wrap the paper around a bamboo skewer and roll it to create quilled rings for the petals.
Arrange the parts inside each ring and glue them tightly with no gaps to complete the three-dimensional tulips.
Make the leaves with the same quilling method; giving them a gentle curl adds a soft, flowing look.
When making the butterfly, vary the colors and sizes of the wings as you quill.
For the antennae, tightly roll thin strips of paper to make them look realistic.
Because this involves many fine finger movements, it can also serve as a hand dexterity exercise for older adults.
Chiyogami torn-paper collage carp streamer
Chigiri-e (torn-paper collage) is also enjoyed as a hobby, isn’t it? Because it fully engages the hands, it’s effective for finger dexterity training for seniors and even for dementia prevention! How about making carp streamers with chigiri-e as a May wall decoration? If you’re doing this in a facility’s day service, staff can create the main body of the carp streamers out of construction paper, and have the users tear and paste chiyogami paper for the next step.
Older adults might find themselves completely absorbed in the fine work! Try making vibrant carp streamers that really showcase the colorful chiyogami paper.
Koinobori hanging decoration

This is a hanging decoration with gently swaying carp streamers.
By using chiyogami paper, the design appeals to seniors as well.
Roll your favorite color of construction paper into a tube, fold the chiyogami in half and cut it to create a scale pattern.
When you attach the chiyogami to the construction paper tube, the base color shows through, creating a beautiful contrast! By coordinating the colors and patterns of the construction paper and chiyogami, you can make a one-of-a-kind carp streamer.
Adding an origami helmet or pinwheel will make it even more festive.
A wreath with carp streamers and a samurai helmet

While the carp streamers and samurai helmet motif is a classic, what we’re introducing here has a little twist.
First, use origami to make four helmets.
Then connect them by inserting the edge of one helmet into the edge of another and secure it.
Repeat this for all four, and the helmets will form a circle—a wreath.
Finally, decorate the center with carp streamers, and your carp streamer and helmet wreath is complete! Choosing traditional Japanese patterns for the helmet origami makes it look even more authentic.
It’s a Japanese-Western fusion wall decoration!
Carp streamers and wisteria flowers

When you think of small purple blossoms that bloom in May, wisteria comes to mind.
Let’s make a decoration that combines carp streamers (koinobori) with wisteria! Cut purple origami paper into small pieces, fold them, and turn them into wisteria flowers.
Make several—since you’ll arrange and glue them onto a backing at the end, the more you have, the more luxurious it will look! For the koinobori, use a simple folding method that takes advantage of the white underside of the origami.
Draw in the eye and the lines on the tail fin to finish them.
Then place the carp streamers and wisteria flowers however you like on a backing made from a paper plate or similar.
Attach a string so it can hang on the wall, and you’re done!
Wisteria in a tsumami-zaiku style

These are wisteria flowers made from tissue paper using the tsumami-zaiku technique.
First, stack four purple and four white sheets of tissue paper alternately.
Staple them along the diagonal, then cut out three large squares and two small squares.
Fold each square into a triangle.
Align the folded pieces and clip them together with a clothespin, apply glue to the cut edge, and smooth it with your finger.
Before the glue dries, release them and fold back the edges slightly.
Use a pointed tool to open the pouch-like part and shape it into petals.
Create several strands of these airy, beautiful wisteria flowers in varying lengths and bundle them together.
Koinobori everyone can freely draw together

Instead of cutting thick paper or doing origami, how about freely drawing carp streamers? Using a brush helps exercise your fingertips and can even serve as brain training.
Feel free to choose any method or style you like! Brushes make it easy to vary pressure, so take advantage of that to draw scales and fins.
If you have plenty of space to work, preparing a large sheet of paper might be a good idea.
As you draw, you might find the ideas keep coming—“Let’s make it look like more are swimming,” or “Let’s focus on the background,” and so on!




